KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
10-Feb-2013
So far the BSF has recovered over 30kg of heroin from the international border belt in Punjab this year.
06-Feb-2013
Additional Sessions Judge Sanjeev Berry sentenced BKI militant Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted for the assassination of former Punjab CM Beant Singh, to 10-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) and a fine of INR 10,000 in a case of recovery of explosives.
22-Jan-2013
Four KLF militants, identified as KLF chief Baba Bakshish Singh, Jasbir Singh alias Jassa, Harhant Singh alias DC and Pargat Singh were produced in a Patiala court in connection with the recovery of a bomb near Nabha LPG bottling plant in Patiala district in January 2010. Jassa and DC were arrested by Nabha Police on February 22, 2010, while trying to target vital installations in Punjab. Pargat Singh was arrested on May 2010 while staying in a paying guest accommodation in Sant Nagar (Jalandhar District) on a fake name and identity. The fourth accused, Bakhshish, was arrested from near Amritsar (Amritsar District) on May 29, 2010, and 2.3 kilograms RDX, a detonator, 30 bore pistol, and 28 cartridges were recovered from his possession.
21-Jan-2013
Amritsar District police arrested one person, Gurdev Singh along with FICN with a face value of INR 3, 00,000 and heroin worth INR 25 million in the Chheharta area. Gurdev was involved in cross border smuggling of heroin and FICN.
17-Jan-2013
In an official meeting between India and US delegations on the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, India has formally asked US Justice Department for the extradition of BKI militant Balwinder Singh Possi. He was wanted in twin blasts at interstate roadways bus stand Jalandhar, Punjab on April 24, 2006. Punjab Police is also planning to file for the extradition of another BKI militant Gurnam Singh alias Neka from the US. Neka is wanted for the two blasts which were carried out on April 24 and 28, 2006, in which three persons were killed. Punjab Police is also investigating the involvement of a third BKI militant Gursharan Singh Cheema in the blasts. Both the accused fled to the US in 2006 shortly after the blasts.
13-Jan-2013
Smuggler Bhupinder Singh was arrested by BSF from the Dera Nanak Sector of Gurdaspur District and recovered one country made Pakistani pistol, two magazines, 15 rounds of ammunition, along with 15 kg heroin valued around INR 750 million in the international market.
08-Jan-2013
BSF troopers recovered 11 kilograms of heroin along with FICN with a face value of INR 1.2 million near Border Outpost Khalra in Amarkot sector of Ferozepur District.
31-Dec-2012
The ISI is using smugglers in Punjab. Pakistan is relying on narcotics smugglers to push FICNs into India. A charge sheet was filed in a special court in Mohali District, against three narcotics smugglers Dilbagh Singh, Bikramjit Singh, and Gurpratap Singh. The accused admitted to having brought FICN consignment earlier also, and apart from FICN they also brought arms and ammunition from Pakistan into India.
31-Dec-2012
Police arrested five persons for pasting anti-national posters at many places in Bhikhi and Budhlada towns of Mansa District. Issued by a group named Maut de Parwane (lovers of death), the posters called upon people to "follow Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale as, presently, minorities are not safe in India." The posters also exhorted pliable targets to take to arms. Separate cases of waging war against the nation and spreading communal hatred have been registered against them.
11-Dec-2012
The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, R.P.N. Singh, told the Lok Sabha that LeT, IM, BKI, and KTF are interested in carrying out militant attacks in India but there are no inputs about the Taliban. He further said, "The central intelligence agencies have no specific inputs indicating (a) threat from the Taliban." He added that intelligence inputs show that the four groups, including LeT, have "abiding interest" in carrying out militant violence in India. Some people abroad are sending money to "certain intermediaries" in Punjab to revive terrorism in the State.
27-Nov-2012
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs R.P.N. Singh replied to a question in Lok Sabha that various militant groups including LeT, IM, JeM, HuM, Al-Umma, Al Badr, HuJI, HM, BKI, KZF, and KTF are engaged in militant activities in the country and as per available information militants in India are often supported by their parent outfits based abroad particularly in Pakistan.
25-Oct-2012
The State Special Operation Cell (Counter Intelligence unit) of Amritsar Police arrested two cross-border smugglers, identified as Jassa Singh and Harpal Singh, and recovered five kilograms of heroin worth INR 250 million in the international market and INR 0.225 million FICN. The duo was indulged in cross-border smuggling of heroin and FICN and was delivering them to different destinations like Amritsar and Delhi.
24-Oct-2012
A person named Rajbir Singh Yadav is arrested by Ludhiana Police and he is believed to be the mastermind behind a gang involved in extortion and circulating FICN printed in Pakistan. The gang had smuggled some INR 40.5 million FICN through their Pakistan-based contacts identified as Shahid and Qasim. Rajbir is on the wanted list of Nepal Police while several criminal cases have also been registered against him in Kolkata, Bhopal, and Punjab.
11-Oct-2012
The BSF seized an assault magazine with 18 rounds of ammunition along with nine kilograms heroin valued around INR 45 crore, a mobile phone and two SIM of Pakistan's Zong mobile network near Rajatal village in Amritsar District. BSF stated that Pakistan based smugglers had used PVC pipe to smuggle heroin and ammunition from across the border fence. The smugglers also left behind a small quantity of opium. BSF mentioned that when they challenged, three Pak smugglers. They started spraying bullets on troops, who retaliated and opened fire. This made the smugglers flee back.
11-Oct-2012
The Government has decided to provide security to Brigadier (Retired) Israr Rahim Khan, involved in Operation Blue Star.
08-Oct-2012
BSF recovered 2-kilogram heroin near India- Pakistan International Border (IB) in Khalra or Tarn Taran District.
08-Oct-2012
A goods train arrived in Amritsar of Punjab from Pakistan contained 105 kg heroin valued at INR 5.25 billion in the International market and 500 cartridges of Magnum 397 bore revolver valued around INR 200,000 lakh concealed in cement bags were seized.
08-Oct-2012
BKI still has a large network of sleeper cells across Punjab, confirmed by the NIA sources. BKI’s Leaders Wadhwa Singh and Mehal Singh were making efforts to revive militancy in Punjab. Both Wadhwa Singh and Mehal Singh were believed to be in Pakistan recently, are also learnt to have made some trips to Germany, where too the BKI is said to have a large network of sympathisers, in order to raise funds for the organisation. Intelligence officials have told the NIA that in Pakistan Wadhwa Singh and Mehal Singh had regular meetings with top ISI officials, who have pledged full support to them.
05-Oct-2012
An attack in London, on Lieutenant General K.S. Brar, who commanded Operation Blue Star, has prompted the NIA to take a closer look at the pro-Khalistan activism and fund-raising by radical Sikh organizations supposedly working for the welfare of incarcerated Sikh militants, as well as cyber sites openly promoting the Khalistan cause. At least two such organizations, the Sikh Organization for Prisoner Welfare (SOPW) and Punjabi e-paper 'Rozana Spokesman' have come under NIA, which is probing cases involving "active" remnants of Sikh militant groups such as BKI. The NIA suspects a possible attempt by certain foreign-based pro-Khalistan leaders and Pakistan's ISI to revive militancy in Punjab and is probing possible sources of terror financing for the project.
04-Oct-2012
A top UMHA official said that the Punjab government had assured the Centre in June that only a gurudwara was being constructed inside the Golden Temple and not a memorial for Sikh extremists killed in the 1984 operation. However, UMHA has received reports, contrary to claims of the Punjab government, that works on an 18-feet memorial is on and photographs of extremists like Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale would be prominently displayed inside the memorial, once completed. A team of UMHA, hence, would go to Amritsar and Chandigarh to convey the Centre's concerns to the state government.